honestly

adverb

hon·​est·​ly ˈä-nəst-lē 

1

: in an honest manner: such as

a

: without cheating

counted the ballots honestly

b

: really, genuinely

was honestly scared

c

: without frills

food honestly prepared

2

: to be honest : to tell the truth

honestly, I don't know

Synonyms of honestly

• frankly
• actually
• really
• indeed

Examples of honestly in a Sentence

Officials counted the votes honestly.

The bank has always dealt honestly with me.

I can honestly say that I have never seen that man before today.

He spoke honestly about the mistakes he had made.

She honestly believes that she has been mistreated.

Recent Examples on the Web

But honestly, that $270 off (in this economy) is hard to beat. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 24 June 2026

And honestly, if the wedding was going to be unforgettable either way, a performance would probably put it over the top. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 June 2026

What could break the thesis The convergence story has real counterarguments, and a piece that does not engage them honestly is not worth writing. — Azeem Khan, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

And, honestly, what a miserable way to go through life. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for honestly

• dishonestly

Kids Definition

honestly

adverb

hon·​est·​ly ˈän-əst-lē 

1

: in an honest manner: as

a

: without cheating

counted the votes honestly

b

: actually, genuinely

was honestly scared

2

: to be honest : to tell the truth

honestly, I don't understand it